Only a fool speaks for all “society” but then again society expects that from a German every so often, think about their history. Most sane and rational people who are not religious terrorist accept gay footballers, God knows they have been around since the invention of the ball. Gay men are still men and some like to play rough. Hope this helps people to understand what they don’t know. Hate is also nothing new, the Germans seem to be the champs at that game, seeing that most are Catholics Germans who work with their “leaders” from time to time to destroy minorities and take over the world. Seems about time for a new “leader” to do that too. Now society around the world do not accept that, just ask any older American or Russian what they thought of it when Germany tried to not accept them for who they were.

Football – the Bigoted Game – Believe me there are plenty of gay men in the industry and most hetros are just jealous of our liberation – If a man ‘protesteth’ too much about gays in football, then it’s likely he is suppressing his own latent homoseuxal desires –

The ‘anti German crap’ you speak of – is a response to bigotry, ignorance & hatred – so before you whinge at us – turn to your German friends and get them to distance themselves from this opinion – or they all risk being tarred with the same brush – again!

BTW – We are not talking about you favourite ‘tolerant’ city – New York is a liberal and fun city, as is London, Madrid etc – that doesn’t mean to say that these cities represent the majority of the countries population – most of the US is inhabited by backward, superstitious, extremists.

Just like the Berlin wall in the haulacost, all racism , bigoty, and discrimination , must be torn down, just like the apartide as well, torn down, the wretched hiltlers, are the same as the klan , and the hate groups in the us and like the monsters who are islamic alquedia, in foriegn countries, The united states and europe britain soldiers , must get to the defense of the monsters taken over yemen, and take them back out of that country theses monsters will continue to try and take over all over the peaceful counties, in the foriegn countries, and take this progressed countries back into a worse horror state and will set up more bin ladens , to set up attacks on the united nations, the wicked evil people who are would not be this for along if this country and other civilized countries would have had them monitored in the first place and stop others here from under the table with terrorists from other countries, their is inside traitors, to terrorism in our own government

The footballs and sports players in germany and in any other country you should form you on sports teams and compete aginst other sports teams, Germany should be reprimanded every time there is defamation form their sport teams and discsrimanation , just like they are reprmanded and sanctions in the united states sports forums for the defamation and discrimination, and it must be made mandatory every where in every country, reprimands and sanctions for racism and discriminatin, and bigotyr and hate crimes across the board, the coaches in germany must be fired for instigating the racism and abuse of teammates, their should be lawsuits filed as well, these monsterous beastly countries, who the civil right leaders spent their lives, taring down apartides in this nation, and berlins walls, they are trying to take the whole country back into digressed evils of history , as an uncivilized barbaric countries, they must be stoped, reprimanded and arressted , overhauled and reconstructed,

So in Mr. Lahm’s world, we shouldn’t start to make inroads into the game and make a stand? In other words, we should remain in the closet when it comes to sport? Not going to happen, Mr. Lahm, not in the UK at least.

This nation must move forward in taking down terrorism and reconstructing and restructuring into civilized human rights liberty countries instead of canables, violating others as they have, the nation must not allow the history to keep repeating itself until the nation is fully destroyed, the hetersexual men have made the nations an uncivilized unsafe entity, around he world and it must be corrected now, getting dictators out an putting in good citizsens who care about the others in the countries and communites, do not lose focus on what you must move forward in the is the most important thing .

Much that I hate to say it, maybe he has a point. Sport, particularly soccer and rugby, are ueber-macho pastimes, both from the player and spectator perspective, and it will take a long time for people to adapt, tolerate and finally accept gay men.

Like all things, there is often no point in trying to force the issue, but as general society adapts, the more extreme periphery will eventually fall into line of their own accord, in much the same way as race, age and disability have. It’s not if, but when, however, don’t expect change overnight.

It will only take a long time if it is allowed to do so. The time is right. Herr Lahm might not get that yet, but increasingly more and more players, staff and, more importantly, supporters are. All it will take is one or two braver gay players being open and the closet doors will swing wide open.

As for football being an über-macho sport, have you seen how they roll around if someone taps them? Bunch of big girls :-)

I love this kind of macho posturing from footballers. What a joke. You’re not gladiators – you’re grown men kicking around a ball. How about we just drop you in a ring with a gay marine and see who wins the manliness prize then?

His analogy may of been off but he is correct, football isnt ready to accept gay players.

In the UK we cant even stamp out racism in players yet alone fans, what chance at this point in time does stopping homophobia have when there remains still so much opposition towards gay people in society.

The football stands reflects a large part of society and as a whole its showing we are falling back, not progressing on social diversity.

Completely disagree. The few small minded idiots (normally teenagers) shouting their mouths off do not reflect the majority of supporters. Quite the opposite.

You point out that we haven’t fully eliminated racism either. Would you say that black players shouldn’t be in our sports teams because racism still occurs? Or that the sport isn’t “ready” for black players?

Actually, it is the younger people that are more tolerant of both gay and coloured people. It is the older ones unwilling to change that are the problem.

These things will change over time simply because of the surrounding social situation, but as the man said, it is macho, gladiatorial, and also tribal. Why do people kick the crap out of each other for supporting a football team? It brings out the most primal and basic elements in human beings, so it is really going to be the last place it will change, but it is changing slowly, it just needs time.

Race and orientations issues are much less seen as divisive or of significance to younger people who support football than some of their older compatriots, and the same is probably true across a wider expanse of society …

Given that this is the case, and that racism is much more likely to be challenged on the terraces compared to 20 years ago, and that the trickle of support to combat homophobia is beginning to grow – I would argue this is a sign that the game will soon evolve to embrace and welcome out gay players at the highest level …

So does that mean we shouldn’t have Jewish, muslim or black footballers as well ?

They get a bit of stick as well but they all play and most of soceity accepts them. It’s only the thugs that abuse them and they need to be dealt with..what a defeatist , ridiculous attitude this guy has

It is unfortunate that football brings out the worst in society. We traditionally hate the Germans when it comes to football even though the War is supposed to be a taboo subject.
Black players have had a difficult time being accepted on football pitches and there has been a long history of fans throwing bananas onto the pitch to taunt them and recently a black Oldham Athletic player has subjected to horrendous abuse by a section of the Liverpool crowd at Anfield. While I would like to see homophobia kicked out of football, it will be a long time yet before an openly gay player will win the admiration of fans.

He’s not saying homophobia is a problem within the team, he’s saying that fans are the problem, and that a player wouldn’t feel comfortable in that environment. How is he in any way bringing the game in to disrepute, he’s telling the truth, that the terraces are still a massively homophobic environment.

That’s the excuse that is ALWAYS used – but there is absolutely no evidence to back it up.

Rubgy and hurling are as macho as football, yet Gareth Thomas and Donal Og Cusack have faced little backlash from fans since coming out.

in Britain the reason footballers don’t come out is because of the institutional bigotry of the FA – it is not the fans fault.

The same seems true of Germany.

If this Lahm bigot had said ‘Racism will always be a feature of sport so players need to get used to it, becauise of the galdiatorial natuire of the sport’ he would have been vilified for this stupidity and racism.

By pretending that the fans are the problem (whereas in Germany, as in Britain it seems to be the FA) then he is justifying homophobia. He is therefore not fit for purpose as either a professional footballer and certainly not as the German captain.

mmmm… society or footballers? Thereis a difference and I personally think this is just the opinion of bigotted footballers which keep the game way back in the dark ages.
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The reason for change, surely.

This isn’t a problem with Phil Lahm, he has a valid point. The terraces are a very homophobic environment, I don’t blame any footballer for staying in the closet. Phil Lahm isn’t saying that it’s right that footballers should’t be comfortable to come out, he’s merely pointing out the massive problem of homophobia in sport and how it isn’t an environment where homosexuality is widely accepted.

Football terraces are no more homophobic than rugby or hurling terraces. And I am sick and tired of this tired, lazy and unproven excuse constantly being used to justify the fact that there are only 2 out professional footballers.

It’s just that the sporting bodies of those bodies have a lower tolerance for bigotry than the FA (in either the UK or Germany).

The FA is institutionally homophobic. That is the reason there are no out players. Blaming the fans is easy, and unproveable and allows the dinosaurs of the FA to pretend they cannot address the problem of homophobia in football.